By Alex Mills
August 8, 2019
Energy policy no longer has a place in the debates among Democrat candidates for President. The buzz words for Democrats today are “climate change,” “environmental justice” and the “Green New Deal.”
Crude oil, natural gas, coal and nuclear are not a part of the platforms of the 20-something Democratic candidates. Not even the two candidates from Texas – Beto O’Rourke and Julian Castro – have any mention of oil and natural gas on their official webpages. O’Rourke does say he would stop granting federal leases for development of fossil fuels, and develop funding ($5 trillion) for climate change investments and “economic diversification.” Castro’s webpage has no mention of energy or climate change.
During the recent second round of debates last week, former Vice President Joe Biden was asked by the moderator if there would be “any place for fossil fuels, including coal and fracking” in his administration and he replied “no.”
Biden, the leading contender in the polls, does devote a lengthy discourse on his webpage discussing his policy “ensuring the U.S. achieves a 100 percent clean energy economy and net-zero emissions no later than 2050.” To achieve this very lofty goal, Biden says he will issue executive orders, seek legislative remedies, establish “enforcement mechanisms,” and make “historic investment in clean energy.” Those enforcement mechanisms include “action against fossil fuel companies and other polluters who put profit over people.”…